A Vampire Star and Its Victim (Artist's Illustration)

New research using data from European Southern Observatory telescopes, including the Very Large Telescope, has revealed that the hottest and brightest stars, known as O stars, are often found in close pairs. Many of these binaries transfer mass from one star to another, a kind of stellar vampirism depicted in this artist's impression.
Image Type: Illustration
Illustration Credit: ESA, NASA, L. Calcada (ESO), and S.E. de Mink (STScI)
Science Credit: ESA, NASA, H. Sana (Amsterdam University), and S.E. de Mink (STScI)